The Colorado Rockies and host Baltimore Orioles are dealing with extremes heading into the second game of their three-game series on Saturday.
For a change, the Rockies are on the positive side when it comes to the emotional component.
The Rockies won their third straight on Friday with a 6-5 comeback victory in the series opener.
“It’s just a sign of a team that’s growing,” Colorado interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We’re just trying to play consistent.”
The Orioles have had their share of frustrations this season, but this latest dose seems even more severe. After all, they homered four times in the first two innings and then couldn’t protect a four-run lead on Friday.
So they’re in a familiar situation going into the middle game of the series: trying to recover.
“That’s a bitter one right there,” Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “It feels like here lately we’ve thrown up some good numbers early in games on that last road trip, and we just haven’t been able to hang on. Part of that is pitching and part of that is not adding more runs as the game goes on.”
Baltimore lost for the eighth time in 10 games after dropping the first contest of a seven-game homestand.
Left-hander Trevor Rogers (3-1, 1.74 ERA) is set to make the start on Saturday for the Orioles. He has pitched in a game just once since July 13, picking up a 5-3 victory Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Rogers has pitched in seven big-league games this year, his 2025 start delayed due to offseason knee surgery. He has issued multiple walks in five of his outings. Rogers is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in two career starts versus the Rockies.
Despite Colorado’s record, the Rockies should have the attention of Baltimore’s pitchers, Mansolino said.
“It’s a really aggressive-swinging team,” he said. “I think it’s one of the higher chase rate teams, highest swing percentage teams.”
Right-hander Antonio Senzatela (4-13, 6.41) is listed as Colorado’s starter. He’ll want to avoid extending his majors-high loss total, which is something that’s bound to be related to surrendering 146 hits in 98 1/3 innings.
Senzatela won his last outing by working a season-high seven innings on July 19 against the Minnesota Twins. This next start will mark his 169th appearance in the big leagues, but the first time he’s matched up against the Orioles.
Some of the home-field advantage was nixed for the Orioles on Friday when the seats were cleared mid-game because of the potential for an approaching storm. There wasn’t an official delay to the game, however, and fans were later allowed to return to the seats.
On Saturday, both teams will be in their first full day since trading key contributors.
The Rockies sent third baseman Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees for a pair of minor leaguers Friday.
The Orioles shipped reliever Gregory Soto to the New York Mets, also for minor leaguers in return, further diminishing a bullpen that lost closer Felix Bautista to the injury list this week.
Among other moves, the Orioles called up infielder Jeremiah Jackson, who could make his major league debut this weekend.
–Field Level Media
